Electric signaling or indicating means



ug 1937 v H. T. RlNGRosE 088,924

ELECTRIC SIGNALINGOR INDICATING MEANS Filed Jan. l2; 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug 3, l937 H. T. RLNGRosE 2,088,924

ELECTRIC SIGNALING OR INDICATING MEANS Filed Jan. l2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIIG.

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Patented Aug. 3, 1937 ELECTRIC SIGNALING oalNincA'rINcr Y MEANS vHenry 'lliomasr- Ringrose, IWest Park, Leeqs,-V

England Application January 12, `1935,-`Se1'ial No, 1,558.

` 'VIn-GreatBritain January 29, 19341 4. claims.' (121.1774115 lThis :invention relatesto electricv signaling or indicating'means-Aas.` applied tov apparatus for indicating" the presenceof in'an'imable vapours orf gases, and'of'thekind'wherein a` lamp,y con- 5 'stituting a warning lampl has its circuit `cornpleted by a vacuum operated switch or` collapsible `diz'iphrag-In Iwhen` a i predetermined Vacuum is crelatedf' by combustion upon rvanVL incandescent rilainent inra porousvessel ofinllammablevapours l orgaseswhich diffuse thereinto or 'are aspirated thereto; Y i y V In this kindof apparatus it has been 'proposed `to providefa smaller capacity lamp in serieswith thelz `warning lamp i andwhich functions," under T normal conditions, said smaller capacitylarnp the porous vessel.A

i being short-circuitedby the vacuumffo'p'erated switch Vor collapsible diaphragm when'fthWajrnfA ing `lamp circuitiisicompletedthereby as affresul't ofI the predetermined` vacuum being` attained fin According to the invention thewarning lamp has associated therewith arelayadapted. to be energized Whenthe Warning 1am-p circuit is com; pletedby the vacuum operated switch orfcoll- +lapsib'le `diaphragm and to maintain-said lampcircuit irrespective of the subsequentoperation l or action of"the"vacuum^operated s'witcl'i orcollapsiblediapl'iragm., Preferablyalso a manually operated switch would be provided in the relay lgo-circuit whereby, once the warning lamp circuit has' been completed,` by4 the ,vacuum operated `switcher collapsible` diaphragm, the relay circuit can-be brokeniijorn time` to time so asto ascertain Whether the `predeternined"vacuumLexists thefporous vessel" andthe la-mpcircuit is still completedthrough the vacuum` controlledor ,col- Y ipsiblediaphragm. 'rhus vif the iarpisnot put out when the relayc'ircuitf` is broken,..the lamp `circuit1 musty stillE be` made throughfthe vacuum @controlled switch" or collapsible diaphraginfgOn the `other hand if thelamp is extinguished, when the relay circuit is broken', `this indicates `that the vacuum switch orcollapsible diaphragm `has previously operated Ato break the lamp 4circuit and that the Vacuum has been destroyed.

Shouldfthe lament in the" porous vessel be burntout in use as a result of an excess of vapour or gas or as the result of a defect there will be a rapid cooling in the porous Vessel andin con-Y 'sequence'a vacuum will be set up tocause the operates,to Viirst ascertain that said lament is functioning. If it isfunctioning then the presence of atleast the predetermined percentage of nammable vapour or gas isindicatedby the warning lamp; '5 @Inf order that theinvention Amay be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the samewill now bemore fully described with `reference to and by the aid of the accompanying drawings,jwherein: i

Figure 1 is ai -partsectionaliside elevation of the-lamp head ortop of an apparatus, in the 4form` of` a miners` lamp, for indicating or recording the presence of inammable vapours or gases in mines.

Figure 2 isa planoiFigure 1. g FigureB is a side elevation taken at right angles to'jl'igiire 1- and'in the direction of the `arrow A, the outer cover or cap `andlamp glass being omitted for the sake-of i clearness.

Figure`4 is anotherelevation of Figure 1, but taken in the direction of the arrow B.

Figure5 is an electrical? circuit diagramof the apparatus.

the `positive terminal of the battery or accumulator (not shown) has-mounted upon insulating blocks 2` thereon, a pair of lamp holders 3, 4, the

vvformer 1of which carries a lamp 5 and the other 30 a Warning lamp B oflarger capacity. The positive terminal- Tof the lamp holder 3 is connected to the base plateeor top I by means of a lead 8 and screw-down terminal 9, and the negative terminal Il] of said lamp holder 3 is connected by a leadII to the positive terminal I2 of the other `lamp holder 4 whose negative terminal strip I3 is connected to a binding post I4 passing through 'an insulating b ush I5 in the base or top I to the negative terminal' of the accumulator or battery (not shown). Thus the lamps 5 and 6 are connected in series and their relative capacities are such that the lamp 5 normally glows, whilst the filament of the other lamp 6 normally passes current Without becoming incandescent.

The positive terminal I2 of the lamp holder 4 is connected by a lead I6 to a bracket I'I which is mounted upon-an insulating plate I8 on the base or top I and secured to the latter by means of screws I9 passedthrough insulating washersi 50 or sleeves 2|), the said bracket I1 being thereby 'insulated from the' said base or top I. The bracket I1 carries a spring arm 2| having a con- I 1tactQ22 adapted to be-engaged byl another contactf23 carried. byfa diaphragmlll whenvthe lat- 55 ter collapses to a predetermined amount. This hollow metal diaphragm is connected electrically by a metal tube 25 and hollow pillar 26 to the base or top I, whilst the passage 21, afforded from the interior of the diaphragm 24 by the tube 25 and hollow pillar 26, communicates directly with a porous vessel 28 in which a vacuum is created in accordance with the percentage of inflammable vapours or gases in the surrounding atmosphere. The contact 23 passes through a hole in the spring arm 2| and the latter is adapted to be adjusted to vary the gap between the contacts 22 and 23 in accordance with warning signal requirements. Y,

A relay, indicated by coils 29, is connected across the larger capacity lamp 6, and the vacuum operated switch or collapsible diaphragm 24 is connected across the smaller capacity lamp 5, whilst the armature 30 of the relay is connected through a make and break switch to the positive side of the smaller capacity lamp 5 and associated vacuum controlled switch or collapsible diaphragm 24. Thus as shown the relay is mounted upon an insulating platform 3| fixed on the pillar 26 and the armature 30 has a strip contact 32 which is normally engaged by a pin 33 of a spring-loaded switchplunger 34 working in a barrel afforded by said pillar 26, said plunger 34 having an insulating `cap 35 which is engaged by a spring-loaded press-button plunger 36 mounted on the -lamp cover or cap 31, the arrangement being--such that the armature circuit can be broken as and when desired by depressing the press-button plungerr 36 and thereby sepl arating the pin 33 and strip contact 32.

associated therewith and making contact with the underside of the plate l.

With this arrangement if the smaller capacity lamp 5 ceases to function and the larger capacity lamp 6 does not light, this indicates that the filament of one of the lamps has burnt out or the series electric circuit is broken. If on the other hand the larger capacity lamp 6 lights up when the smaller capacity lamp goes out, this indicates that at least the predetermined vacuum has been created in the .porous vessel either as a result of the presence of inflammable gas or vapour in the porous vessel 28 or the lament 39 being fused or broken. If upon inspection through the transparent portion 38 or wall of the porous vessel 28, it is found that the filament 39 therein is still glowing or incandescent, and the larger capacity-lamp 6 is still alight, this definitely indicates the presence of excess gas or vapour. Under these latter conditions the attendant Would operate the switch to break the armature circuit of the vrelay from time to time, and if the larger capacity lamp 6 does not go out this indicates that an excess of gas or vapour is still present and that the vacuum controlled switch or collapsible diaphragm 24 is still completing the circuit of said larger capacity lamp 6. When the gas or vapour content of the atmosphere falls below the predetermined percentage, the contacts made by the vacuum controlled switch or collapsible diaphragm 24 will break .or part but the larger capacity lamp 6 will still function through the action of the relay until the circuit of the latter is again broken, whereupon the larger capacity lamp 6 will go out and the smaller capacity lamp 5 will again function to indicate that normal or safe conditions now exist. If after repeated operations of the relay circuit switch, the larger capacity lamp 6 remains alight the attendant would clear all men from the danger zone.

It will be evident that the arrangement of the circuit is such that during normal operating conditions with 'the diaphragm switch open, insufcient current passes through the relay coil to pick up the armature thereof and close the locking circuit. When the lamp 5 is short circuited, however, suicient current then passes through the relay to operate the switch.

In this latter connection the relay may be adapted to operate further or auxiliary warning any excess of gas or vapours is caused to operate .39

the warning lamp this is maintained on by the relay, and that under these conditions said lamp cannot be put out, by breaking of the relay circuit, until such time as conditions are again 5 normal.

I claim:-

1. An apparatus for indicating the presence of inflammable vapors orgases and of the kind specified, comprising a source of current, an electric signaling or indicating means, including anl indicator circuit, two lamps of relatively diiferent capacities arranged in series in said circuit, a relay circuit including a relay, connected to said indicator circuit across the larger capacity lamp, means in said relay circuit including a switchr responsive to the presence of inflammable gasesf of the subsequent operation of the gas responsive tric signaling or indicating means, including an n indicator circuit, two lamps of relatively different capacities arranged in series in said circuit, a ref lay circuit including a relay, connected to said indicator circuit across the larger capacity lamp said relay having an armature, means in said relay circuit including a switch responsive to the presence of inflammable gasesy connected across the smaller capacity lamp for completing said relay circuit, and means to maintain the vlarger. capacity lamp in circuit irrespective of the subsequent operation of the gas responsive switch. 3. An apparatus for indicating the presence of inflammable vapors or gases and of the kind specified, comprising a source of current, an elec-y tric signaling or indicating means, including a lamp circuit, a warning lamp in said circuit, a lamp of lower capacity than said warning lamp arranged in series with said warning lamp in said circuit, a relay, the coil of whichV is in parallelf circuit with said warning lamp, means including a switch responsive to the presence of inflammable gases for completing the circuit through the relay and Warning lamp, whereby said relay will be energized when the circuit through the Warning lamp is completed by said switch, and

means to maintain said warning lamp circuit irrespective of subsequent action or operation of the switch.

4. An apparatus for indicating the presence of inflammable vapors or gases and of the kind specified, comprising a source of current, an electric signaling or indicating means, including an indicator circuit, two lamps; of relatively diierent capacities.A arranged in seriesl in said circuit,

a shunt circuit including a relay connected to said indicator circuit across the larger capacity lamp, means in said shunt circuit including a switch responsive to the presence of inflammable gases, connected across the smaller capacity lamp for completing said shunt circuit and effective when closed to complete said shunt circuit to cut out said lamp of smaller capacity and to increase current flow to said lamp of larger capacity, means including a holding circuit through said relay to maintain the larger capacity lamp in circuit, irrespective of subsequent operation of the gas responsive switch in said shunt circuit, and means to break said holding circuit.

HENRY THOMAS RINGROSE. 

